Toni Morrison's Beloved is a novel that actually mirrors what real life is like. Unlike a lot of books these days that are filled with perfect problems and happy endings, nothing about Beloved is perfect. The book is so enjoyable and profound because it can make you weep with the pain it causes. Reading about the horrific tragedies that American people went through at the hands of their fellow Americans is awful, and not fun. But Morrison makes her novel about so much more than just the horrors of slavery in the South.
Her story is so compelling because it shows us that anything can be overcome. Sethe and Paul D. endure so much hardship and pain, and yet they save each other with their love. But Morrison doesn't write the typical swoon-worthy romance, their love is just as complicated, just as painful as the rest of the novel and it is beautiful for that reason. Neither of them wants to rehash the past, reliving the disturbing experiences they were forced to go through together, but neither of them can live without them.
Through each other, they are able to confront the ghosts of the past, and move past them rather than just burying them in their "tobacco cans." True healing can only come after all of the demons are at rest, not while they still wait in the shadows as the ghost Beloved does. In this way, Morrison reveals to us that it is better to be loved than beloved.
Morrison's novel is painfully beautiful, but it is a tribute to love overcoming all obstacles.
